 Marburger was a noted Democrat, a fact that "Nature" magazine stated was relevant to the decision by the administration to take the unusual step of withholding from Marburger the title of Assistant to the President that previous science advisors had been granted.His tenure was marked by controversy as he defended the Bush administration from accusations that political influence on science was distorting scientific research in federal agencies and that scientific evidence was being suppressed or ignored in policy decisions, especially on the topics of abstinence-only birth control education, climate change policy, and stem cell research.Marburger defended the Bush Administration from these accusations, saying they were inaccurate or motivated by partisanship, especially on the issue of science funding levels.